The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles
You remember Amy Winehouse, right? You remember how she came out with two awesome albums? You remember how she spent the last five years of her life becoming an object of public mockery? You remember how she died in 2011, and therefore, is no longer a valid target of abuse? Well, now, several tributes to her life are coming soon. The first is a … [Read more...]
A new exhibition at The Vyne - a Tudor palace turned family home turned National Trust attraction in Basingstoke - explores whether an ancient Roman ring discovered in a southern English field in 1785 could have been the One Ring to rule J.R.R. Tolkien's imagination and inspire his creation of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The intricate … [Read more...]
American scholar Thomas Pinney, professor emeritus of English at Pomona College in Claremont, California, recently unearthed a number of lost poems by the late British writer Rudyard Kipling. They were finally published alongside more than 1,000 others in the three-volume Cambridge Edition of The Poems of Rudyard Kipling - the first ever … [Read more...]
We've been working on it for months and hinting at it on our social media feeds and today is the day we're ready to release Anglotopia's Dictionary of British English: Brit Slang from A to Zed! We're really excited about this new book as we've had a lot of interest in it. Our new British Slang Dictionary features over 1,000 words of British … [Read more...]
Gregory Doran, the Royal Shakespeare Company's new artistic director, announced last week that adaptations of Hilary Mantel's prize-winning historical novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, will be staged in the RSC's winter 2013 season. Doran also revealed he will direct former Doctor Who star David Tennant in the title role of Shakespeare's … [Read more...]
The story of Winston Churchill is generally well-known - the courageous leader that led Britain through the dark days of World War II to victory. But what many people don't realize is that this was but a blip in his life and in actually he considered himself a professional writer for most of his life. That's the subject of Mr. Churchill's … [Read more...]
For many, reading is an escape into another world, shutting out the reader's physical environment. Sometimes, though, a place can so perfectly fit a book that reading in that spot intrudes on and enhances the experience. Cambridge, England is a university town that has inspired authors for more than 800 years. Here are ten books and their … [Read more...]
Frankenstein, renowned Gothic horror novel and forerunner of the science fiction genre as we know it, is perfectly capable of giving almost anybody a fright. But it probably startled a London man called Sammy Jay more than most when he stumbled upon a very special copy of it last year. He was digging through the long-disused personal library of … [Read more...]
According to a new BBC article, treasures found at the birthplace of Jane Austen shed light on the life the author led while drafting the stories that became Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensability. While she wrote of wealthy ladies and gentlemen, it appears Ms. Austen led more of an average villager's life. Austen was born in the house … [Read more...]
I recently had the pleasure of reading the e-book The Oddball English by Annie Harrison. The book is a no-holds-barred and cheeky explanation of British society and culture, covering such topics as national obsessions, things that perplex foreigners about the English, the English class system, and English slang. As an American myself, I … [Read more...]
2013 might be your lucky number if you're a fan of Brit lit. Fresh stuff from Neil Gaiman and Kate Atkinson, a dash of previously unpublished Tolkien, and more Hilary Mantel (maybe?) top the list of titles we're itching to see on shelves in the new year. After more than a decade immersed in writing her massively popular Jackson Brodie mystery … [Read more...]
The game is afoot! Alice in Wonderland is being translated into Jèrriais, and the first Latin translation of The Hobbit has been translated into Latin. Now, there is an effort to translate the classic mystery hero Sherlock Holmes into Welsh. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective Sherlock Holmes has been translated into 76 languages, … [Read more...]
generic cialis BBC One and BBC Drama have commissioned an exclusive adaptation of The Casual Vacancy from The Blair Partnership, who represents J.K. Rowling. The series will be produced through an independent production company operated by Neil Blair, on behalf of The Blair Partnership, and Rick Senat, which shall engage the executive … [Read more...]
Ralph Fiennes’s unlikely follow-up project to his virile directorial debut Coriolanus is The Invisible Woman, the intimate story of Charles Dickens’ secret relationship with a young actress named Ellen “Nelly” Ternan. "He was about 45 years old. She was 18,” explains Fiennes, 49, who also plays the great writer. “From that point on, … [Read more...]
Jane Austen said, "My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company." You are "well-informed people" and I'm sure you have a "great deal of conversation". Jane herself would probably call you "good company", but conversation lacks the elegance it once … [Read more...]
What with entertainment headlines being dominated by the upcoming Hobbit and Star Wars trilogies, it seems good things are coming in threes these days. Fans waiting around for a third Bridget Jones film, however, have been frustrated to learn of the project's stalled script and lack of leadership. But while that's all still getting sorted, Helen … [Read more...]
As promised, I am following up to my previous post regarding Call the Midwife. I ordered Shadows of the Workhouse and Farewell to the East End from Amazon.co.uk when I couldn’t find them here in the U.S., and I have already devoured both. While very similar in style to Call the Midwife, I found the stories to be darker, especially … [Read more...]
One of England’s most beloved authors is Charles Dickens, and he is a personal favorite of mine. His stories are sad, inspirational, and timeless. He was influential in changing society by raising awareness of the poverty and social ills plaguing 19th century England. We love his descriptions of “orphaned and starving children, misers, … [Read more...]
Let me get this off my chest right away, I’ve never really given up wanting to be a Royal. I’m a happily married woman, but I have that royal wave perfectly practiced just in case. Granted, the last American to bag a Royal didn’t exactly get welcomed with open arms, but it’s the 21st Century and things have … [Read more...]
Just in time for Halloween, Radio Times reported last week that Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are officially set to reunite - more than a decade after their last professional collaboration - and voice an upcoming animated (CGI) adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost. For fans of Fry, Laurie, and Wilde alike, this is fiendishly good … [Read more...]
Have plans to attend a midnight premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in the States this December? Good news! You'll be able to stop by your local Denny's afterward for a Hobbit-themed late - or shall we call it second? - breakfast. The infamous "always open" American diner chain has announced a limited edition tie-in menu celebrating … [Read more...]
It’s impossible to think of Jane Austen and her novels without the all important social events and elaborate balls. Just as Jane Austen herself enjoyed dressing up for a night of music and gossip, the characters in each of Austen’s novels also experienced the grandeur and occasional frivolity of the many dances of the time. Indeed, the ballroom … [Read more...]
Lost in Austen if one of our favorite takes on Jane Austen. It's a fun story where a modern young woman finds herself sent back in time into a Jane Austen novel. Hilarity ensues. You can pick up this great DVD from the BBC America Shop for just $9.98! Less than a tenner as the British say. Click to get Lost in Austen Lost in … [Read more...]
The quirky former Talking Heads frontman, the Who guitarist and songwriter, the one and only Rod the Mod, and Duran Duran's basist have all got new books out this fall. Listen - and read - up! How Music Works follows David Byrne's wildly successful Bicycle Diaries (2009), which was equal parts memoir, travelogue, and dissertation on urban … [Read more...]
HarperCollins has announced its acquisition of more than 200 pages, or roughly 1,000 lines, of previously unpublished alliterative verse by the massively popular "Lord of the Rings" author. It turns out that J.R.R. Tolkien was recounting the last days of King Arthur's reign long before he dreamt up the kings of Gondor. Originally composed in … [Read more...]
This came across the inbox and we thought it was worth sharing. It's a fun new way to explore one of Charles Dickens's most famous works, Oliver Twist. You can now explore the book in a new interactive app for the iPhone. This video is a good overview: Oliver Twist is a charming interactive children's book that brings the work of Charles … [Read more...]
Since childhood, I can hardly remember seeing my mom reading anything for fun that wasn't a Regency Romance. More often than not, She was reading something by Georgette Heyer. Since I began writing these reviews a month ago, my mother has been telling me some interesting facts about Georgette Heyer and the Regency Romance genre. I decided … [Read more...]
If you're in the Pacific Northwest and love anything and everything Sherlock Holmes, consider attending Sherlock Seattle on November 3 and 4, a celebration of everyone's favorite consulting detective. This two-day convention will feature panels, contests, and the main event - a large-screen presentation of BBC's television production, Sherlock: … [Read more...]
This week marks the 30th annual Banned Books Week, a spirited celebration of the right to read and the condemnation of censorship, encouraging people to enjoy the controversial texts that libraries and schools are most frequently asked to remove. While Banned Books Week is primarily a U.S. campaign and an invention of the American Library … [Read more...]
Last month it was my turn to select the book for my book club, and prepare a meal for the evening that was themed based on the book. I, of course, wanted to do something British, but was new to the book club world and unsure what type of book was appropriate, so I began scouring the internet for popular British books for book club. Over and over, … [Read more...]
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia is now our full time jobs and we spend our time working on the site and planning our yearly trips to Britain. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
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